Fuel-feeding apparatus



July 18, 1939. F. T. SNYDER FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS Filed June 14, 1937 Jaw/end)?" Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED PATENT .oFFic FUEL-FEEDING APPARATUS setts Application'June' 14, 1937, Serial No. 148,166

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding both liquid-and-solid'fuels to a gas generatoror retort, more particularly-when of the blast'furnace type.

It is the 'general object of my invention to proride" improved apparatus for'feeding coal or coke or other solid or semi-solid fuels to the top of a gas generator, and for feeding oil or gaseous fuel to a point within thefuel mass.

A further object of my invention is to provide a heat-insulated oil feeding device for such 'purposes, together with means for conveniently determining the elevation of the point of oil delivery.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation, of the upper part of a generator, with my improved feeding apparatus mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the feeding apparatus, partially broken away and looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of a cover plate, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a packing device, looking in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of the packing device, taken along the line 55 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the lower end portion of the oil feeding device.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a portion of a furnace or generator l having a reaction chamber or stack II and having an enlarged upper end portion |2 provided with a gas outlet l4. A cover plate closes the upper end of the generator, and a casing or hopper I6 is mounted in an axial opening in the cover plate I5 and may be secured in position by clamping bolts H.

The upper end of the casing or hopper H5 is normally closed by a cover having concentric ribs 2| on its lower face which provide an annular groove for receipt of a wick or packing 22.

Clamping bolts 23 are pivoted at 24 on lugs 25 fixed to the casing l6, and these bolts 23 may be swung upward into notches 26 in the cover 20. Wing or handle nuts 21 are provided for clamping the cover 20 firmly on the casing |B.

The cover 20 is provided with an axial opening 28, which opening is surrounded on the upper face of the cover by a flange having a deep annularrecess 29 which ispartially filled with mercury, for a purpose to be described.

An oil feeding device-30 extends axially through the hopper or casing 16 and extends loosely "-5 through-the opening 28 in the coverZil. This oil feeding device comprises a feed ,pipe. 32 provided at itslower. end with .a nut or head 33 .whichsup- ,portsa tube34, formed of. fire-clay..Qrotherheatinsulating and heat-resisting material.

This fire-clay. tube.34 extends to, a, point. above theburning fuel mass, as indicatedinFig. .1, and loosely supports a conical metal collar 35, which in turn supports the lower end of an outer metal pipe 36, substantially spaced from the oil 15 feed pipe 32. This pipe 36 extends upward through the coal feeding hopper, and the space between the two pipes 32 and 36 is filled and firmly packed with asbestos or other suitable heat-insulating material.

While this annular space between the pipes is being filled, the pipes 32 and 36 may be held concentric by three adjusting screws 31 (Fig. 1) which are threaded in the outer pipe 36 and which may be removed after the space between 25 the pipes is filled. The upper end of the pipe 36 extends loosely through an opening 39 in a suitable support 40 and may be centered and secured therein by a plurality of set-screws 4|.

The upper end of the pipe 32 is threaded into 30 a cap 42 having an oil inlet 43. A washer 44 is loosely mounted on the pipe 32 below the cap 42 and rests upon the upper end of a two-part spacing sleeve 45, which in turn rests upon the support 40. The sleeve 45, washer 44 and cap 42 thus effectively support the oil feeding device 30 and determine its vertical position, independently of the set screws 4|. Preferably a plurality of two-part sleeves 45 of different lengths will be provided, so that the oil feeding device 30 may be positioned at different selected elevations.

A collar 50 (Figs. 1 and 5) is loosely mounted on the outer pipe 36 and is provided with a wick packing 5| held in position by a plate 52. A sleeve 53 is mounted on the collar 59 and extends downward therefrom into the mercury in the annular groove 29. The groove 29 is of substantial width, so that if the oil feeding device 35 is slightly crooked or out of alignment, it will nevertheless pass freely through the opening 28 and will be effectively sealed by the mercury in the groove 29.

Whenever it is necessary to remove the oil feeding device 30, this may be easily done by loosening the set-screws 4|, after which the device 3|! 55 may be lifted out of the generator. The collar may remain in place or may be removed with the device 30, according to the tightness of the wick packing 5|.

The lower end of the casing or hopper I6 is normally closed by a bell having an axial opening 6| to loosely receive the oil feed device 30. A collar 62 is slidable on the device 30 and rests on a flange 64 extending upward from the bell Bil, thus substantially sealing the opening around the pipe 36.

The bell 60 is suspended by links 65, springs 66 and links 61 from a pair of arms 68 mounted on a rock shaft 69 pivotally supported in an enlarged side portion 10 of the casing l6. A weight arm H is secured to the rock shaft 69 outside of the casing l5 and is provided with a weight W which may be adjusted along the arm II and which may be secured in any desired position.

When coal, coke or other solid or semi-solid fuel is to be fed to the generator, the cover 20 is unclamped and is slid upward along the oil feed device 30 a sufiicient distance to provide access to the top of the hopper I6; within which the fuel charge is then placed. The cover 20 is then reclamped in normal position and the arm "H is swung upward, thus lowering the bell 60 and allowing the fuel charge to escape into the furnace, after which the bell is again raised and positioned by the weight W.

It is thus possible to feed solid fuel to the hopper IS without disturbing the oil. feeding device 30 or changing its adjustment, and without escape of gas.

The vertical working position of the oil feeding device may be varied by inserting different sleeves 45 under the washer 44 and cap 42. If the lower end of the pipe 32 should become partially closed by soot or coke, the entire oil feeding device 30 could be removed as previously described.

The heat-insulating of the oil feed pipe is of particular importance in gas generators which operate at relatively high temperatures, as it prevents the cracking of the oil within the feed pipe which might otherwise occur with production of soot or tar which would clog the feed pipe.

In the claim, reference to oil feed will be understood to include also vapor feed.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

In a gas generator having a stack with a vertical central passage forming a gas generating retort and having means to feed solid fuel to the upper end of said passage, that improvement in an oil feeding device for said gas generator which comprises an oil feed pipe extending downward a substantial distance into the fuel mass, a fireclay casing for the lower part of said feed pipe. an outer pipe mounted above said casing and supported thereby, and a filling of heat-insulating material between said feed pipe and said outer pipe.

FREDERICK T. SNYDER. 

